Two horsemen ride up to a tavern...

With a wave of her hand, Katrin sends the Hammer of Tempus near to where Cal stands over the bound man on the ground. Satisfied that everything seems under control outside, she makes for the cave, following Kou inside, where she spots two bandits turning to run back into the cave, fear in their eyes.

Thrandimir steps forwards, drawing himself up to his full height as he conjures a gust of wind from behind him and strikes a dramatic pose. "If you would live, drop your weapons and stand your ground," he growls at the pair of bandits.

The two newcomers turn tail and run back into the cave. Ash darts out of hiding and fires an arrow at one, which glances off a leather plate with a thud, prompting a loud grunt of pain from the man.

"It doesn't seem that they would , "  Ascian mutters to Thrandimir before darting after his arrow into the darkness, running until the torchlight seems to be within a range he trusts. He's barely skidded to a stop before his bow is lifted again and a second arrow cuts through the shadows in a perfect path after the first, catching the captain hard and lodging deep in his shoulder.

Kou dashes after the men, he couldn't let them get away and kill again. Tapping into his bodies energy, he realizes that he doesn't have much left to give, he will have to end this quickly. Darting in front of the bandits he yells "You are far to slow to escape me. Stand and fight, meet your end with the honor you forsook in life.". Glaring at the men with his grey eyes sparking with bolts of silver 

Katrin isn't in a hurry to catch up with Kou. Who knows what lies deeper in the cave, and she'd rather not find out on her own. After Thrandimir's vain attempts to truly frighten the two bandits, who are clearly more frightened of the terrifying image of Kou standing before them, Katrin places her hand on his upper arm, and whispers, "You'll get it next time."  A small pulse of energy travels from her hand to the wizard's head, shining briefly behind his eyes before disappearing. Katrin continues walking, coming to stand near Ascian.

Thrandimir rolls his eyes when he sees the men run. "I don't know why I even bother," he spits, the words full of venom. Striding down the tunnel after the escapees, the wizard raises his staff, channelling his rage and annoyance and will into another blast of cold that bites to the bone.

With the rest of the party having run off to seemingly capture the last couple bandits, Cal was content to stay back and watch over the man hogtied to his side.  “So friend,”  he leans over the man, casting a long shadow over him, “I take it things aren’t going exactly as you would hope at the moment, yea? I understand you and your friends got up to some real bad stuff. Can’t speak to that, but a couple friendly merchants would really like to get their goods back, y’know? So how bout it champ,” he tilts his head as he smiles, turning slightly in the direction of the man whose head Katrin had split like a melon, or the chief Kaed had mercilessly butchered like a babe, “any chance you’d like to kindly help a fella find some missing keepsakes?”

The newcomers circle around Kou. The captain pulls the arrow free of his wound and jams a piece of his tunic in to staunch the bleeding before drinking a small potion. The other takes two swings with his mace at Kou, striking one glancing blow. Lightning channels back across the mace and into the arm of the thug, showing the skeleton beneath the flesh for just a moment. He, too, quickly drinks a potion.

The bound man follows Callahan's gaze to his slain comrades and swallows with an audible gulp. "I dun have any of the stuff," he says.  "'Sides from this healing potion." He pulls a vial off his belt and tosses it on the ground in front of Cal. "The chief already came by and took his cut. Left a few trinkets for the rest."

"Your chief? Huh, guess I figured the big guy was your chief."  Cal gently takes a seat beside the bound man, legs crossed and arms calmly placed over his lap along with the enchanted quarterstaff he bore, "so then I'd like to inquire anew: Where can we find this here chief of yours?"  Cal flashes a disarming smile and waits.

If the man's eyes weren't already awash with fear, a new wave of terror makes it clear. "I...uh...I dunno," he stammers. "It's...well...it's complicated. He shows up to demand tribute from our gang once and a while, usually after we take a big score. The big guy, Uriah, was our chief, yeah, but he's not the chief chief, ya know?"

Cal nods along in understanding, "Oh right, right, of course friend I getcha. It can be real confusing at times for sure don'tchaknow but I think I can keep it all aligned. Still, why don't ya do your best to recall anything that'd be of use. I know my companions would certainly appreciate it when they get back."

"Well, he's a hobgoblin. Real pale, grey skin. A mean bastard. When Uriah pledged us to his group, he did this weird magic brand on us. Seared it into all of our chests." He pulls down his shirt to reveal an intricately carved glyph. It doesn't seem to be a burn like a brand. Rather, it seems to be sliced into the skin with the utmost care. It hasn't scarred over, either. The wound seems to still be open. It does not seem to be bleeding. 

Ascian's aim is seemingly aided by the shadows he stands in, releasing another arrow that expertly navigates the armor of the thug flanking Kou, punching deeply into his abdomen. The blood it draws is unmistakable even from sixty feet away, crimson in the torchlight, and Ascian reaches into his quiver to draw another and soon put the man out of his misery.

Hearing Ash's arrow sing past him and seeing it lodge into the man to his left's stomach. Kou decides to focus on the one in front of him. Maneuvering around the man he unleashes a series of slashes, a few connect and begin to wear down the man's defenses. 

"Wonder how Cal's getting on." Katrin muses to herself as she moves further into the cave, coming up a few meters behind Kaed, as Kou beats the bandit mercilessly. As she moves, her fingers tap the hilt, point, then hilt again of the flaming sword of her amulet. "Heilen," she whispers to the sword and warmth spreads from her chest out to her fingertips as she draws nearer to Kou and the bandits.

Striding onwards down the tunnel, Thrandimir continues to concentrate his icy curse on the less injured of the two men. However, his target manages to shake off the creeping ice and keep moving.

Wonder how Lady Katrin's getting on,  Cal muses to himself as he looks off into the cave, before letting out a heavy sigh. He turns back towards the branded man and settles his gaze on the strangely fresh-looking arcane mark. It occurs to him all at once it isn't the first he'd seen, either. "Huh... you know at the time I hadn't given it much thought. Lady Katrin often runs around with all manner of fire and brimstone on her hammer, and the Seeker and young Ash both have their own strange abilities and whatnot, y'know? Just figured it was from one of them. But I saw this mark before! One of the bandits that rudely tried to rob us the other day bore one just like it. Go figure!" He leans in to inspect it further, then tilts his head up to meet the man's gaze, his own face mere inches below, "Does it hurt? What does it do? Are you being *forced* to do anything ya don't want? Who would I talk to about finding out exactly where this hobgoblin fella is? Sorry that's a lotta questions, I just worry we don't have much time left til the others return is all!"

Pushing past Kou, the thug in the tunnel limps away, collapsing as he reaches the corner. The other bandit lays into Kou, landing glancing blows with his scimitar and dagger. The monk avoids injury, and channels lightning back across the man's blade. The bandit's hair stands on end as the charge flows through him. "We're part of a bigger gang now. Safety in numbers," the bandit says. "We're doing the same stuff we were before, we just had to pay tribute. But, uh....no, it doesn't hurt. Not anymore at least. And I have no idea where he is. He finds us, not the other way around." He pauses, trailing off as he glances around at his dead and dying comrades. Then, as if something suddenly occurred to him, he slowly looks back to Callahan. "Why? What happens when the others come back?"

Cal leans back in his spot, letting out a heavy sigh, "I'm really sorry mister, I'll try my best to point out you've been cooperative and helpful and all, really! It's just... the folk I travel with don't always seem to care about stuff like that, is all. I mean, just look at that Uriah fella you talked about. He surrendered, yea? Now the way I was raised, a foe who surrenders is a friend you just ain't seen eye-to-eye with yet. But I guess they don't say such things down south here." There's a pause as a calm air settles over the now-still, corpse-laden field around them, "Anyway like I said, if you got anything else worth sharing it could have some sway ideally, I just worry is all. Sorry about that!"

The bandit seems to choke on his fear. "I don't know anything else!"

Ascian keeps still even as Kaed rushes past him, his notched arrow whizzing a hair's breadth from the barbarian's ear in its route to burying itself deep inside the escaping bandit's throat. Blood spurts at once from the man's jugular, rushing down his neck in sputtering red waves. Slowly Ash lowers his bow, and notes to Kaed's back, "You trust me either entirely, or not at all."

" Never doubted you for a second." Kaed calls back and then, in a rare moment of calm on the battlefield finds himself almost on top of the wounded man. Instinctively he attacks hard, not really knowing any other way, leaving himself exposed to a counter, banking that the enemy will not be alive to take it. The blade rips through his foe, spraying blood over Kaed, and narrowly missing Kou. The bandit slumps a little and drops to a knee, Kaed moves closer, unsure whether to finish him or try and save him to question him. In a burst of energy the bandit lunges towards him, and Kaed acts without thought smashing the man in the middle of his face with the rim of his shield. He falls back, the life leaving his eyes, face ruined, dead before his head reaches the rock, Kaed sighs, " Damn it, I hadn't meant to kill that one, I hope Cal still has a grip on that other bridgand!" Kneeling next to the man he looks up at Kou, " Are you ok, my friend, you held them at bay for a while there while we caught up. You are too fast for your own good, you know?"

Ascian creeps forward through the tunnel, accompanied only by the flickering torch-light and the raspy, fading breathing of the dead man at the bend of the tunnel. As the tunnel turns back on itself, he sees a tiny bit of fire light peeking around the corner. Carefully setting his torch down, he carefully proceeds forward.  He arrives in a large, open chamber, lit by a campfire and two braziers. The smoke appears to be filtering out of the cavern through the ceiling somewhere, though the upper parts of the cave are ensconced in darkness. The campfire illuminates two tents and a small pool of clear water. Additionally, a bandit with a large bandage wrapped around his leg snoozes quietly on a cot next to a tent. The braziers illuminate something far more startling. A white-marble wall, color faded with age, protrudes from the eastern wall of the cave. Set into it, between the two braziers, is a large stone door. Carved into the stone above the door is text in old Tollanian: Secessus Hydell A few lines of text in Tollanian underline the the large text, but the firelight is too dim to make out what they say.

Ascian recovers his torch and makes his way back to the group, casting a glance over his shoulder to ensure he isn't followed. "There's one left," he informs the others quietly. " Asleep. Two tents and a pool of water.  There's an old stone door too, lit by braziers. It says Secessus Hydell and something else, but I couldn't make it out." He looks directly at Thrandimir as he says,  "Do you want me to take care of him."

"Hydell...." Katrin says, mulling over the word in her mouth. "The Hydellian Retreat. This must be the place that we're looking for then."

"It seems like fate looks kindly on us. As she should. Maybe someone should get Cal and that bandit in here and secure the horses while the rest go and make sure everything is ok. Actually I will go, be careful in there." Kaed heads back down the tunnel, heading for Cal. 

After Kaed drops the last bandit, Kou leans his back against the cold wall of the cave. His breath was coming in ragged waves, he nearly over did it today.  Between sprinting after the men, narrowly avoiding spilling his guts to the bandit's scimitar, and having to unleash Tempest's divine lightning twice in a few seconds he had come close to hitting his limits. Using the coolness of the wall as a grounding point he closes his eyes and tries to slow his breathing.  Smiling at Kaed he quietly says  "My former mentor often said the same." his hand absent mindedly resting on the ornate short sword on his back. His breathing close to normal he says in jovial tone  "But I knew you wouldn't let me hog the glory. Though my friend if you took any longer, I would have sent these men to Tempus and been halfway through dinner." Chuckling at his own joke his eyes narrow as Ash poses his question. Killing a man in his sleep didn't sit well with Kou but he would let Ash and Thrand settle that for themselves, he needed a moment to collect himself. Saying only "Do what you must". Following Kaed out of the cave, he sinks to the ground in a meditation pose. Focusing inward he gathers the divine might bestowed upon him. He begins quietly uttering the healing words of Tempus as lighting crackles between his hands, sparking along his body. Rejuvenating him as the energy loosens his muscles and soothing the strain the battle put on  his body. 

"Well, I suppose that explains that ," Thrandimir muses with a chuckle. "Such serendipity... Eventually, yes, put him out of his misery, but it might be wise to first learn what he knows. Can you incapacitate him?"

Katrin doesn't follow Kou back out of the cave. Maybe it's morbid curiosity, but she's interested in what Ash and Thrand might find. Not to mention a chance to inspect ancient stonework. There were some impressive ruins in the mountains of Hol, but she'd never expected to find something like this in the Heartlands. Her mind travels back to Rose, and her heart aches. She'll return. She always does.  

Ascian nods shortly in response to Thrandimir, guiding he and Katrin to the curve in the tunnel where they'll still be out of sight before ducking into the shadows. His feet are silent across the rocky tunnel as he approaches the sleeping man, the familiar strip of wire stretched between his hands, still red from its encounter with the scout a few minutes earlier. For a moment, he stares down at the sleeping man in front of him, listening to the quiet snores. There should be hesitation, and he knows that, but all he can focus on is the instruction he was given and the need to see it through. Can you incapacitate him? Affectlessly, he slips the wire around the bandit's throat, winding it tighter as the man surges to consciousness beneath him and begins to thrash. Slight as Ascian is, his grip is nothing if not expert, and the struggling is short-lived. He pauses for a moment, readjusting his grip before calling to the others, "It's done."  To the man in his hold, he says quietly, "You're going to be questioned now. It's in your best interest to be honest."

The garrote bites into the man's throat as he swallows nervously. He does his best to nod as Thrandimir and Katrin approach.

Thrandimir wanders up to the restrained bandit, glancing to the side to admire the Tollanian architecture as he goes. Finally, the wizard crouches in front of the prisoner and begins picking his nails with a knife. "Is there anybody in there?" He asks, nodding towards the ruins.

He coughs once, then, with a rasp in his voice, says, "There's something moving around in there, but we hadn't opened it yet. It's sealed."

"Mmm, sealed you say?" Katrin mutters, and walks over to the ancient stonework. I wonder if the door is sealed with a trap? Magic maybe? Perhaps there is some clue, here in the stone. She inspects the stonework, as she keeps an ear to Thrandimir's interrogation.

The smaller line of text, below the letters denoting this as the entrance to the Hydellian Retreat, is incomprehensible to Katrin. The letters are familiar, though archaic in their arrangement and stylization.  MITTO TIBI NAVEM PRORA PVPPIQVE CARENTEM

Slowly rising to his feet from his meditation pose. Tempus' healing had restored his stamina but his well of spiritual energy was empty. Unfortunately he didn't have time to truly meditate, there was still much to do today. Especially with some of the bandit's still unaccounted for. Seeing Cal and the bandit he tackled earlier, walks over to the pair and asks the Firbolg "Have you learned anything from him?" before leaning down to look the bandit in the eye and asks "Where are the others?"

Thrandimir glances again at the ancient stones and nods, resolving to handle that later. "So far so good. Where's your boss?"

The bandit looks up at Thrandimir. "You mean Uriah? He's..." He trails off, coming to a quick conclusion about the likely state of his compatriots who were outside the cave. "He was  out by the cart." As Thrandimir continues to hold the man's gaze, he swallows again, drawing a bead of blood as his adam's apple pushes against the garotte. "Or...you mean Gesrik? He was here earlier, but he left. I don't know when he'll be back."

Thrandimir's eyes sparkle when the prisoner mentions Gesrik. "Gesrik, yes. Tell me more about him ."

"Uriah was the boss of our group, and he pledged us to a larger group, made up of a buncha different gangs. Gesrik is the leader of that group." He pulls down his tunic a bit, revealing a glyph carved into his chest. It looks like a fresh wound, but is not bleeding. "He carved this into each of us when Uriah signed us on. He shows up and takes his tribute every so often, usually after a big score. He's a hobgoblin. But he's got grey skin."

Kaed goes to check on his horse and then searches the body of the chief while he waits for the bandit to answer the questions Kou has put to him, keeping his ears open and his eyes for any sign of another threat.

"Davy and Marius were in the cave, tending to Terry," the bandit says. "One of the tabaxi shot Terry in the leg."

Cal looks up as Kou arrives and gives a nod, "Yea he's been relatively forthcoming. Their leader was Uriah, that fellow that surrendered but Kaed cut down anyway. He inducted our friend here and all the rest into a group led by some hobgoblin. They all were forced to get this  symbol carved into them, which is real odd when you think about it."  He pushes off his knee with one hand and gets to his feet, "Turns out those highway bandits we came across were part of the same group, which is less odd when you think about it, but equally worrying. Says he doesn't know where this hobgoblin is as the man apparently shows up when he wants tributes, but who's to say, y'know?"

" Well if he has told you what he knows then we really have no use for the murdering piece of scum do we?" Kaed advances on the captured man, sword drawn. " Did you hear what I said to his friend, before I killed him? Do you care that they murdered a guard whose only crime was to try and do his job?"  Kaed seems unsure about who he is more angry at, the bandit or Cal, his knuckles white on the hilt of his sword. Standing right in front of the droid he looks straight into his eyes. " There is no court to try him here,no law, no order. This man has committed murder, possibly more than once,he would no doubt have continued to do so, had we not killed all his friends. He is going to die, the only question is are you going to do it or shall I?" Kaed places the razor sharp edge of his sabre near the captured man's throat as he waits for Cal's answer.

Kou interjects "He does deserve to face justice, though my conscious wont allow killing those who are bound or have laid down their arms in surrender." Pausing as if in thought he adds "Justice is owed though, since there is no court let him face trial by combat. Even the despicable  deserve a chance to fight for their lives."

"Shows up?" Thrandimir asks, his curiosity piqued by the grey-skinned hobgoblin. "Where from?"

The bandit does his best to shrug. "I dunno. We move around the area a bunch, but he always seems to know where to find us. I think him an' Uriah talked a bunch."